Broken Diamond
by Thestormwarrior
Summary: "Falling stars, nine in all, shall make their dive, their echoes as loud as the thunder that fills the sky. Then from the darkness into the light, only one can shine bright." WindClan has been cursed by StarClan for their continued aggression against the recently re-founded SkyClan.(Rewrite of an older story!)
1. A New Destiny

**Hello readers, this is a remake of an older work of mine completed in 2011. Unfortunately, this rewrite is actually far older than it appears. This was completed sometime in 2014 and then forgotten as I left the fandom. Just a few days ago I found the documents on my old laptop and have decided to post them. Since this was completed in 2014 and I have since moved on from this fandom, I decided to post it as it was and without any editing to represent the me from back then. I lost interest in the Warriors series partway through the Power of Three arc and read only one or two of the books in the Omen of the Stars, so this does not line up with canon. There is a total of 12 chapters (each roughly between 1,000 and 2,000 words) and a short epilogue. I think I will upload one chapter a week.  
**

 **Since the books had barely mentioned him when I began to write this back then, Kestrelflight is the same cat only in name. Most of the cats in this story are OCs and have no connection to canon characters. Any similarities in naming or personality are coincidental.**

 **With that out of the way, I hope you enjoy this story.**

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Chapter 1: A New Destiny

It was a beautiful day in the camp; the sun hovered high in the sky, warming the earth below. It was the sort of day that stood out, made everyone forget that Leafbare was right ahead, and that cold weather would arrive soon. Many of the cats were lazing around in patches of sunlight, stretched out and otherwise enjoying this blissful day of warmth. The only one not relishing the day, it seemed, was the clan leader, Darkstar. He was in his den, pacing back and forth with anxiety and anger, tail slashing the air as he walked. He muttered to himself, cursing the name Featherstar with every pawstep.

"Why should he be named leader? He didn't deserve it, not one bit! I worked all my life to get where I am, and he just decides 'oh, I'll just form my own clan.' It's not fair!"

Darkstar's deputy would rather had been anywhere than listening to another of his leader's rants. He stifled a yawn and rolled back onto his belly, mumbling as he did so, "Maybe just surprise him and- "The second part was cut off before he could finish.

"A surprise? You're brilliant, Ty!" Typhoon smiled a little at his long-standing nickname, before recoiling in shock as Darkstar finished, "A surprise attack on SkyClan camp…"

"Wait, no! No! Seriously, Darkstar, just listen to me for once-"

Darkstar stopped in his pacing and locked his eyes on his deputy. What the younger tom saw frightened him, he hated when his friend got so absorbed in his emotions. They were dangerous, unpredictable, and got cats killed. Typhoon could yell at Darkstar, complain until his lungs gave out, but it wouldn't change anything. He was still going to go through with his plan, and it was up to Typhoon to try to minimize the losses, as usual.

"I… I'll come up with an attack plan then."

"As you should."

As if reflecting the somberness of what was to come, the next day was cold and overcast. Thick dark clouds covered the sky, and the sun was barely shining. It was early when Darkstar called the meeting and let the clan know what was planned for the day. There were several protests when one of queens, Daysong, was to participate in phase two of the attack. She had fortunately had her kits a few moons back, and they were to be made apprentices the following moon, but Daysong was not in the best shape, having not hunted nor fought for a while now. Even so, there was not much anyone could do, and she left with the rest of the warriors, only stopping briefly to say goodbye to her kits.

Smokekit had expressed the most anger about the situation. "Why do you have to go? It's not fair."

Echokit and Hailkit had remained quiet in comparison, eyes to the floor of the den, not daring to meet their mother's gaze. Daysong replied to her oldest kit with a firm voice. "Sometimes you have to do what your leader says without complaint. If we didn't listen to our leaders-"

"The Clans would fall apart, blah, blah, blah. That's a load of mousedung."

"Smokekit, please don't interrupt others when they speak, and don't curse. It's not becoming."

"Besides, I'm sure Darkstar knows exactly what he's doing!" Hailkit added.

"That's right," Daysong smiled at her only boy. "So, listen to Rainstep while I'm gone, and don't stay up late."

"Let's go, Daysong!" Their father called out.

"Coming Nightwhisper! One more thing, I love you three so very, very much. If I don't… If something happens to me…. just remember that, okay?"

With a bright smile, Daysong turned around and walked out of the den to join her mate. The patrol left soon after, Echokit watched as they disappeared from her sight, worry evident. She couldn't help but wonder what her mother had meant by that phrasing _._ Was Daysong worried of the very real possibility of losing the battle, and all those she had come to love getting injured or worse?

"Why did it sound like she was never going to see us again?" Hailkit asked, ears drooping.

Echokit didn't want to think of that possibility, not at all, and yet it kept her awake until long after the moon rose to its highest. They still weren't back, what if they were all dead? She shivered and drew into a tight ball, she just wanted her mom and dad back already, comforting her and saying everything was going to be just fine, just like they always had.

The battle patrol returned just after daybreak, staggering into camp. Kestrelflight was the first to greet them, and after scanning the injuries, immediately began to treat the wounded. The three kits stumbled out, bleary eyes searching for their parents. Where… Where were they?

After a moment, Kestrelflight turned to Darkstar and began screaming. "What were you thinking!" The words became a blur, Echokit couldn't focus on them. Her parents, they were nowhere to be seen, and she assumed the worst.

Smokekit went up to the returning warriors and sought out Oakleaf. Oakleaf was Daysong's sister, if anyone knew what had happened, she would. "Oakleaf…?"

The orange she-cat looked to the kit in shock, her eyes glassy from unshed tears. "Sm-Smokekit…? That you?"

"Where's mom and dad?"

"I… I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry…"

Darkstar jumped on the Tallrock, head hanging low. An expression of guilt was clear on his face, and he scarcely could speak. "Today… We lost not only a battle, but two of our friends. Daysong and Nightwhisper, they were brave warriors, and I am sure that StarClan will welcome them with pride."

Echokit couldn't help her screams of anguish, burying her head in her brother's fur. Hailkit couldn't speak, frozen in place, and Smokekit cursed and ranted. None of it would bring their parents back, and it stung to even think they had been taken so suddenly, and while they had been so far from the camp.

Oakleaf watched over them that night, wrapping her body around the three kits as they slept. She didn't sleep herself, and only thought of her sister in her final moments. She would have nightmares, horrible ones, if she tried to sleep, and didn't wish to scare the kits more than they already were. At some point in the night, Kestrelflight snuck in to check in on her.

"You didn't come to see me after the battle."

"I wasn't hurt."

His eyes softened, he wished he could say something to take away the pain she was feeling. He hated seeing her so distressed. _'I'm sorry'_ just felt too hollow, and she had likely heard it too often already. "Oakleaf I…"

"It's alright, really. I… We knew this would happen. We just didn't know when."

"Of course," Kestrelflight began to leave but paused after taking only a few steps. "You know, you don't have to follow on that promise, if you don't want."

"No. If I don't, I'll be the only… I can't back out. The others won't either. We are seeing this through to the end."

Kestrelflight gave a sorrowful chuckle "Of course, I don't know why I expected anything different."

Hailkit began to stir, so Kestrelflight disappeared without another word. The kit looked at Oakleaf in confusion, but she urged him back to sleep. He did so, only after some convincing.

Outside the den, Kestrelflight shivered in the crisp night air. His forest green eyes shifted towards the sky, towards the glimmering pinpricks of light. There was no moon this night, just the cold hardness of each individual star. He had so many questions, but no answers for any of them. He felt useless in StarClan's plan, and he hated it.

"Falling stars, nine in all, shall make their dive, their echoes as loud as the thunder that fills the sky." He repeated to himself, angry at not knowing what it meant for his Clan and his friends. "And from darkness into light, only one can shine bright."


	2. An Uneasy Truce

**I think I'm going to use the author notes at the start of each chapter to reveal additional information and facts about this story/the alternate continuity in which it takes place. If you guys have any topics in particular you are interested in, feel free to ask them in the reviews or send me a PM!**

 **TRIVIA: One of the changes made between the original version of Broken Diamond and this version was the change of several of the character's names. Echo used to go by the name Diamond (hence the legacy title of 'Broken Diamond') while her sister Smoke used to go by the name Riot (As Tatiana would say; "we all make choices but that was a _choice_ "). These changes were entirely for the best, as let's be real, they were pretty terrible names. Now Typhoon is a pretty strange name for a warrior cat too, I'll admit, except the difference is that that's not actually his name (his real name is revealed a bit later on, but he's rather detached to it). The other cats have learned to just go ahead with calling him that even though no one knows what it's supposed to mean.**

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Chapter Two: An Uneasy Truce

More than a full moon passed since the _incident_ had occurred, and life around camp seemed to return to normal. Too normal really, for how strongly Echokit still felt about it. She was upset, more than a little angry, and she didn't know what to do with herself. She mostly sat around listlessly, yearning for her mother's comforting presence. Echokit hated to say it aloud, but Oakleaf just wasn't her mom, and it hurt that she was trying to fill that role.

Every time she saw Oakleaf's bright orange fur, the white accent marks, her stomach twisted. Mentally, Echokit tried to think of Daysong, her cream pelt, but every day the memories seemed to become more and more fuzzy. She didn't want to forget, not now, not ever. The memories were all Echokit had now.

Spottedfire blocked the light from filtering into the den, "Smokekit, Echokit, Hailkit? You three ready for your ceremony to begin?"

Smokekit did a better job of pretending to be excited, Echokit merely hung her head as she exited the den. She had asked to become the medicine cat apprentice, but Kestrelflight said he wasn't looking for an apprentice just yet. The tom had been friendly, but it was still a clear rejection.

Echokit looked to Spottedfire. She was a lovely she-cat; orange and cream colored, with amber eyes that sparkled with life. She was also Oakleaf's kit, and Echokit silently hoped for her as a mentor. She was sweet, not big on battle, and rarely participated in patrol duties. Out of all the choices, she was the least to lead her into dangerous situations.

As Darkstar took his place on the Tallrock and called WindClan to meeting, Echokit realized she overlooked one major detail as another apprentice sat beside Spottedfire. Pinepaw was already her apprentice, so that hope vanished as soon as it had arisen. Who else then?

"By naming apprentices, we show that WindClan will survive and remain strong."

Echokit didn't know who would be a good match for her. She didn't really know any of the other warriors, and couldn't recall who already had apprentices and who didn't.

"And finally, from this moment on, until she has earned her warrior name, this apprentice will be known as Echopaw." She didn't realize the ceremony was almost finished! Darkstar looked her dead in the eye. "I am ready to take a new apprentice; I will be the one to mentor Echopaw. Dismissed."

No. The ground felt like it fell away, and she was falling. Of all the cats in the Clan, why did it have to be him! Smokepaw and Hailpaw touched noses to their respective mentors and cheers of their new names filled the air. It didn't seem right, it had to be one of her nightmares.

Darkstar stepped in front of her, towering over her, it felt. "What's wrong Echopaw? You seem upset?"

"It's nothing," She lied. She swore she hated Darkstar with every inch of her being. He was the one who caused her parent's deaths.

"Then let's begin your training. First, the borders."

She allowed herself to zone out as she followed him around the territory. Echopaw waited to wake up, but she begrudgingly accepted that that was not to be. She wondered how her brother and sister were doing, and if they were at least a little happier than she was currently. They were.

Hailpaw laughed as he and Pebblepaw tumbled to the ground, limbs becoming an entangled mess of gray and white fur. They had been trying to learn a battle move, but it obviously had not worked as intended. Lightclaw sighed and looked at Typhoon in disbelief, she couldn't believe he was laughing as well. Well… She did have to admit it was a little funny.

"Come on you two, let's get it together and try again." She nudged Hailpaw's head. "You have to get up first. Pebblepaw may be bigger, but you're still extra weight."

"Okay." He nodded at his mentor, and carefully extracted himself from the mess. "You okay, Pebble?"

"A little dazed but okay otherwise!" She smiled, "You ready to try again?"

Smokepaw followed Sedgewhisker out onto the moor. She just wanted to show her apprentice how a hunter did their job before trying to explain the details. She was correct in guessing a visual demonstration would be more beneficial than just words, as far as Smokepaw was concerned.

The warrior soon had a rabbit hanging from her jaws, and had Smokepaw begging to learn how to do what she had just done. "Now don't be too impatient, you might not catch anything just yet," She warned.

Her siblings had to be doing better than this, Echopaw decided, as Darkstar began talking about the ThunderClan border and some she-cat that went by the name Storm-something-or-whatever. Talking was too pleasant a term, it was more a full-fledged rant about disloyalty and betrayal. Suddenly Darkstar came to complete halt, and Echopaw barely managed to avoid running into him.

"It's a full moon tonight." It sounded a lot more mechanical and emotionless than she had ever heard him talk. It was a bit frightening. "I'm deciding on who to bring. What do you think?"

"Um…" She wasn't ready to answer this sort of question and struggled to come up with a list of cats. "Let's see. You and Typhoon and Kestrelflight have to go,"

"Naturally."

"Then uh… how about Fallensparrow, Sedgewhisker, Spottedfire, Oakleaf, Lightclaw, Heathertail, Rainstep, Smokepaw, Hailpaw and me?"

"You and your siblings, huh?"

"I… I mean…"

"No, it's unsurprising. It's a good list. I'll consider it." Darkstar's ears flicked. "Anyways, let's get back to your lesson, shall we?"

Echopaw told her siblings about the strange exchange as soon as she got back to camp. Smokepaw was ambivalent about the whole thing.

"I don't know what to tell you, maybe it was a test?"

"What kind of test would it be?"

"Hey, how would I know? I don't know how Darkstar thinks."

"Maybe he wants to see if you'd be a good leader?" Hailpaw offered.

"Aren't I a bit young to be even considering that? Besides, Hailpaw's more the leader type. I don't think I'd like that kind of pressure."

"Well, StarClan has been known to make really strange decisions. Nothing's really impossible. I mean, just think of Firestar! He used to be a kittypet and look where he got."

"So, you better start watching to see if any hedgehogs start flying." Smokepaw mumbled under her breath.

Not long after, the moon began to rise, and the cats slated to go to the Gathering left. To Echopaw's shock, it was every cat that she had named earlier, with just a few additions. Darkstar naturally led the way, his mate close behind, while Typhoon and Kestrelflight made up the tail end of the group. They were discussing something that Echopaw couldn't quite catch, and though she knew eavesdropping was rude, she was curious as to hear what two high-ranking cats could discuss. She made the mistake of looking behind her to look.

"Echopaw," Kestrelflight warned, his voice gaining an edge. "Do you need something?"

' _Mousedung'_ she thought to herself. She was in trouble if she couldn't come with a good lie as to why she was listening in. She stopped walking, as did the two toms. The rest of their group went on ahead, oblivious as to what was occurring.

"Something the matter?" Typhoon asked, tilting his head. Funny, to Echopaw it seemed like the two had switched the stereotypical roles of their positions. "Do you not feel well?"

"Uh… Yeah. I feel a little sick." It was a terrible lie, and from Kestrelflight's unamused expression, she knew that he had seen right through it.

"It's alright, it's probably just nerves. I remember my first Gathering-"

"You threw up," Kestrelflight scowled at the smaller tom " _Twice_."

"You said you wouldn't tell anyone about that… Anyways, do you need to head back to camp, Echopaw? I can bring you back?"

"I'll be fine. Hey can I talk to Kestrelflight? Alone, please?"

"Alright, I see that I'm not wanted here." Typhoon was good at faking a sad look: his true emotion betrayed by a goofy grin just moments after. "We'll finish our conversation later, Kest."

Typhoon bounded ahead, a black and white streak against the dark green of the grass. She and Kestrelflight began walking again, knowing that they were going to miss the Gathering if they didn't.

"Echopaw, what could possibly so important that you had to interrupt us like that?"

When he said it like that, she felt guilty. Her question suddenly occurred to her as selfish and could have easily waited for any other time. "Why did Darkstar choose me as an apprentice? Smokepaw would have been a much better choice."

"I've been friends with Darkstar for several seasons now, longer than you've been alive mind you, and I still don't always understand his choices. He has his reasons, I'm sure, but I don't know them. Maybe he thinks there's something special about you, maybe he didn't know who else to pair you with. That's all I can tell you."

Kestrelflight sighed, seemingly a lot sadder now that his earlier fire was gone. Echopaw looked at the ground, both happy to have an answer, and upset that it wasn't some major prophecy or anything. Every cat wanted to be special, and she was no exception.

"So… Did Typhoon really…?"

"Yes. It was awful, trust me."

She giggled a little and decided to voice her thoughts. "Sooo~ What were you two lovebirds talking about?"

"Echopaw, I'm only going to say this once-"

Kestrelflight then launched in a rant about a myriad of reasons why not to listen in on other's cats' conversations, and something about respecting higher ranked cats that only ended when they arrived at the island. Echopaw wasn't even sure some of them were even real. Would eavesdropping really 'lead to the collapse of the clans as we know them'? Probably not. She had never been so happy to see Darkstar in her life because it meant that Kestrelflight would have to leave her alone. He went to join the other medicine cats, and she tried to find her siblings to no avail. There were just too many cats!

She found an open spot by the tree-line, and sat there awkwardly for a moment before there was a loud commotion from where the medicine cats had been seated. Soon after, a pretty she-cat around Echopaw's age plopped down beside her.

"Can you believe them? Banishing me from their little circle all because I asked an 'inappropriate question'."

"Uhm…" Echopaw couldn't find the words to speak, unsure whether this she-cat was trying to start up a conversation with her, "Who are you?"

"Hawkpaw." She flashed a smile. "ThunderClan medicine cat apprentice. You're WindClan, right? What's your name?"

"It's Echopaw."

"Echopaw, hmm? Pretty name."

"Um, t-thanks?"

"My… You're certainly eloquent, aren't you?" She chuckled, and Echopaw felt the tips of her ears begin to heat up. "So, rumor has it that you're Darkstar's apprentice?"

"I just became… How did you…?"

"News travels fast at a Gathering, especially something big like a leader gaining an apprentice. You're a lot different from what I expected, though that's not a bad thing, don't worry." Her ears swiveled, "Ah- looks like SkyClan's here. Talk to me later?"

"Of course."

Hawkpaw stole quick glances at Echopaw while the leaders spoke, even as Featherstar had to switch spots with Owlstar for fear of Darkstar attacking him. She had a contemplative look on her features, as if she was struggling through a particularly perplexing problem. Echopaw worried for a minute that Hawkpaw was unimpressed with her, until she spoke up.

"If you ever want to talk outside of a Gathering," Hawkpaw whispered, "I tend to walk the lakeside after sundown. I want to get to know you, you seem interesting."

"Yeah! Of course, I'll probably have to get Darkstar to leave me alone for a bit, but I'll definitely try to meet you."

The Gathering ended a lot earlier than Echopaw thought it would, and WindClan were the first to leave. Hawkpaw said goodbye and went back to her clanmates as Echopaw rejoined her own. Spottedfire looked a bit shocked.

"You're certainly in a good mood! I haven't seen you so happy in a long time."

"Mhmm! I met someone tonight."

Oakleaf fell in beside her kit, having heard everything. "Oh? What were they like?"

"Well her name is Hawkpaw and-"

Echopaw recounted everything she had learned about the she-cat in their brief meeting, though in truth it wasn't all that much. Oakleaf was just happy that Echopaw seemed to be doing better than she had been for a long while, while Spottedfire was ecstatic that she was making friends outside of WindClan. She had always been a romantic and thought that interclan friendships meant for a better chance of peace.

Spottedfire yawned, "Let's hurry back to camp, I'm exhausted."


	3. Sacrifice

**From this chapter onwards, the story gets a little darker. While I personally don't believe any of the scenes depicted in this story are particularly gruesome due the vagueness of most injuries, I know that tolerances for violence and death vary and could easily upset others. Granted, I feel as though the Warriors series itself is a bit darker than this, but that might be me remembering the series wrong based on vague memories of the Warrior MAPS/AMVs on YouTube...  
**

 **TRIVIA: The original ending of this chapter had the lyrics of 'My Last Breath' by Evanescence.**

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Chapter 3: Sacrifice

Rainstep had reported scenting a fox near the upper border; a claim like that had to be investigated. Foxes could quickly become a problem; they weren't so bad as badgers or dogs, but they were still more than one cat could handle on their own, and they didn't want to take any chances. Darkstar thought that sending Spottedfire and the apprentices would be more than enough. All the apprentices could hold their own in a fight.

Spottedfire shivered as another blast of cold air hit her. She was thankful her father had passed down his thick coat to her, but it still wasn't enough to block all the chill. Poor Pinepaw and Pebblepaw she thought, as she turned to look at the apprentices. They were short-haired cats and had to be freezing in this weather.

"I can't feel my paws!" Pebblepaw complained,

"Stupid foxes!" Pinepaw continued her thought, "Why did they have to choose Leafbare to come into our territory?"

Smokepaw nearly lost her footing in the building layer of snow, "I hate this stuff!"

"The faster we get this done, the faster we can go home."

"Can we even scent properly in this kind of weather?"

"We just have to go a little further than the Thunderpath, and then we can go back. I promise."

Spottedfire could scarcely see the Thunderpath as it was quickly getting covered by the snow. She didn't want to tell the apprentices that she had never actually crossed one before, and could only tell them what Oakleaf taught her. She thought a bit to remember what she had been told before speaking.

"Twoleg monsters are fast, much faster than even the fastest cat in WindClan. Getting hit by one is deadly." She paused to let that unpleasant fact sink in. She didn't want any of the apprentices getting hurt under her watch because they misjudged their own limits. "So, what you must do is wait to make sure a monster isn't coming, and then I want you to run as fast as you can. Run as if all of the Dark Forest is on your tail."

They made it across without incidence, and continued their search. It was pointless, the scent stale by time they got to it. It was a miracle they could even sense it at all, it had to have been from over a week ago, and the snow certainly didn't help matters at all. Spottedfire was glad that they wouldn't have to fight a fox, though she was worried it might come back later after they had forgotten about it.

Before long, they were back at the Thunderpath. Just as before they were going to go in order: Pebblepaw and Smokepaw, then Hailpaw and Pinepaw. Echopaw would go next, and Spottedfire would go last, just to make sure they all made it across safely, and to not lose sight of them.

The two gray apprentices looked both ways twice before sprinting across. Hailpaw and Pinepaw also made it across without incidence. Echopaw hesitated a moment too long and slipped on an unseen patch of ice. She fell, knocking her head across the cold surface of the Thunderpath. This dazed her, and she failed to register the monster's eyes in the distance. It would be on her in just a few heartbeats. There was no time to think.

Spottedfire bolted across the clearing, praying to StarClan she would make it in time. The other apprentices had noticed and were screaming, pleading for them to get out of the way. Spottedfire just had to close just a little more distance!

She barreled into Echopaw with enough force to knock the apprentice into the grassy area where the others had been waiting. But, in doing so, it meant stopping her own momentum short of freedom. Spottedfire wished she had just a little longer. She didn't want to die….

"Spottedfire!"

The apprentices dragged the bloodied warrior to the side of the Thunderpath, and gagged a little at the sight. Spottedfire was breathing heavily, and screaming in pain. She wouldn't survive much longer; her wounds far too severe. Echopaw began crying, and Hailpaw looked away. Smokepaw couldn't look away, and Pebblepaw turned to vomit from the sight. Pinepaw didn't know what to make of himself, and stood there, just watching.

She was fading fast and none of them could do anything about it. All they could was stand around and watch it happen.

"I don't want to die… I don't want… to die…" Spottedfire whimpered, her voice weak, hoarse and edged with pain. "I'm… scared…."

That was the last any of them heard from the warrior. Shaking, Smokepaw gingerly stepped around her body. They couldn't leave her out here like this, they had to hold the proper ceremonies or she could never rest in peace in StarClan. They could do that much for her now. Pinepaw and Hailpaw helped to carry her body back to camp, Echopaw leading the way.

Coldness gripped at her heart; this was her fault. She was the one who got Spottedfire killed, she had been a young warrior! She had so much left to give to the clan, she hadn't even taken a mate yet. All for what? For an apprentice who made a mistake, a mistake that Spottedfire hadn't needed to pay for.

Darkstar was waiting for them to return. Originally, he was going to scold them for being so late, but the words died in his throat when he saw the blood. It coated the apprentice's backs, and what they carried. It scarcely resembled a cat anymore, and it took him a moment to recognize that it was, or had been.

He ran out as soon as he saw, relieving the apprentices of her weight. He didn't need to ask what happened, the injury was evident, horrifically so. His eyes darted, surveying the apprentices quickly. Great StarClan they were all so young, they shouldn't have had to see something like this.

He laid her body in the middle of the camp, the apprentices forming a barricade to protect her body from the harshest of the winds. Darkstar didn't know what to say. Oakleaf peeked her head out from the warrior's den. It didn't register at first, as she walked outside. When it hit, it was all at once.

Oakleaf collapsed where her kit was lain, sobbing. All she could do was weakly call Spottedfire's name, as if saying it enough would magically return her to her.

"How am I supposed to live without you…." She sniveled "Spottedfire…."


	4. We Remain Grounded

**This chapter involved probably one of the largest changes between this and the original version. The original one had a strange detour to SkyClan that was rather nonsensical even in context and introduced a bizarre supernatural element that was better off being cut out. There will be no StarClan given marks in this version, nor will there be any green-hued cats. We will get a glimpse at SkyClan later but it is under much different circumstances than the original.**

 **TRIVIA: My original notes for this chapter indicate that it once involved a very terrible tree related pun. Part of me wishes I knew what that pun was while the other is thankful it was deleted.**

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Chapter 4: We Remain Grounded

The vigil for a fallen warrior is a solemn affair, and it left a mark on Echopaw and her siblings. The death of her parents had been bad, but at least she hadn't seen the bodies. Echopaw wasn't sure if she would have made it if she had seen them, if they were anything like Spottedfire's had been.

Echopaw hadn't been able to eat for almost a full week after it had happened, and the other apprentices had not been much better off. Pebblepaw had fallen completely silent during that time, Smokepaw got into a lot more arguments, and Hailpaw had woken up screaming several of those days.

She worried about how Oakleaf was doing, she hadn't left her den in all that time. Several times, either Kestrelflight or Typhoon went in, presumably to speak to her, but whatever happened stayed in there. She only left the den a few days after Echopaw managed to keep the first meal down. Her eyes were distant, her steps unsteady, yet she smiled the same to Echopaw and her siblings. It was rather unnerving.

"Come on Pinepaw," She had murmured, as in a daze "We have to finish your training."

Her friend followed shortly behind, ears pulled all the way back. "Come on Pebblepaw, we should go with them."

Echopaw had spoken to Hawkpaw that day as well, seeking comfort from the brown tabby. The medicine cat had been quiet as she recounted what had happened, face twisting in horror as Echopaw described the extent of Spottedfire's injuries. Nobody deserved that to happen to them, Hawkpaw thought, not even those that resided in the Dark Forest.

Darkstar had continued Echopaw's training without another word of the event on the Thunderpath. From the outside, he seemed to have gotten over the tragedy far too quickly, and Echopaw couldn't help but complain of his apparent callousness.

"Don't let him hear you say that about him…" Kestrelflight said with a glimmer of mischief in his eyes.

"H-hey! Were you listening to me? Y-you were the one who told me about eavesdropping and- and…"

"Did I now? Hmm…"

"Kestrelflight!"

"I'll admit it- I'm a huge hypocrite. Now then, you think our leader isn't showing the proper emotions?"

"Yes! He doesn't seem the least bit upset that his orders caused Spottedfire to d..d.."

"You don't think he's bothered by it at all? I think you should look closer," Kestrelflight motioned with his tail to where Darkstar was sitting in the shade of the Tallrock, away from them. "You might notice…"

Echopaw stared at her mentor for a few moments, gasping when she noticed Darkstar's head drooping ever so slightly, tail lashing furiously. His entire body tense,

"Darkstar doesn't really have the freedom to 'be sad'; he has to be strong for the rest of the clan. I'm sorry you saw it as him being cold."

"Oh… I had no idea. I'm sorry."

"I don't think you need to apologize to me." Kestrelflight sat on his haunches and wrapped his tail around his paws. "Go on. I'll watch from here."

"Right now?"

"If you truly are sorry, I think you should make a greater effort to understand our leader's motivations. At the very least, even if you don't agree, you could perhaps sympathize with his position."

Echopaw looked between Kestrelflight and the leader. She wasn't exactly sure Darkstar would appreciate her going over there and disturbing him, but it was technically on the medicine cats' orders. In a situation like this, who held the higher authority? Echopaw took a breath in. Well, what was there to lose?

"Darkstar? Are you okay?"

The tom stiffened up upon hearing her voice and swiveled his head to stare at her. All signs of former weakness disappeared in that instant, every inch of him the unflappable leader of WindClan once more. "Hello, Echopaw. I'm doing well."

They fell into an uncomfortable silence. Echopaw was just about ready to turn tail and run, but Kestrelflight was still looking their way, and clearly expected a greater effort.

"Oh, that's good. Say, um… Why did you choose me as your apprentice?"

"No reason in particular."

"Really?"

Darkstar looked away a moment before he sighed, "I suppose you reminded me of my brother."

"Featherstar?! But you hate him!"

"Keep your voice down. I didn't mean it like that. While it's true my brother and I don't exactly get along," That was putting it lightly, Echopaw grimaced, "It doesn't mean everything about him is awful. I just wish…"

Darkstar cut himself off there. He then got up and walked away, leaving Echopaw more confused than before. She looked to Kestrelflight for guidance.

"I don't get it. He picked me because I remind him of his brother, who he may or may not hate as much as he says he does?"

"The relationship between Featherstar and Darkstar is… complicated. Now then, I have to get ready to go to the Moonpool tonight."

"Could you tell me if StarClan tells you anything?"

"I can't guarantee they'll say anything tonight, but I promise."

When Kestrelflight left, Echopaw was alone. It was scarcely past sunhigh and there was still several hours of daylight left, so Echopaw was left trying to figure out what she wanted to do. The border patrol had already left, and even though the freshkill pile seemed to be well-stocked, it never hurt to have a little extra, right?

It was warm out enough that the snow had started to melt; blades of grass sticking out through the white mush. Echopaw walked through the camp to head to the fields that were closer to the RiverClan borders, stopped only by the sound of someone calling her name.

Pinepaw bounded to her side, his brown fur stark against the snow. "You going hunting?"

"Yep!"

"Is it alright if I tag along? I got something I want to talk to you about."

The pair walked in silence for a long time, arriving at the hunting grounds before speaking another word. It almost seemed like Pinepaw had forgotten what he had wanted to talk about, at least until they stopped walking.

"I'm going to become a warrior soon. Tonight actually."

"Oh. Congratulations."

"You sound upset?"

"Is it that obvious?" Echopaw gave a strained laugh.

After the Thunderpath incident, there was a sense of solidarity between the apprentices that had witnessed the tragedy happen. At night, most of them couldn't sleep unless they were curled up to one another, and yet this would only separate them. Not only that, even the smaller things like hunting with one another or practicing their fighting would be viewed with scrutiny; it would reflect poorly on the new warriors if they continued to act like apprentices. She couldn't verbalize all that, and could only say,

"I won't be able to see you as much."

Pinepaw stared at the ground. "I hate to do this to you, and to Smokepaw and Hailpaw, but it's inevitable. Let's just look on the bright side; if you work hard, you'll catch up rather soon."

"Hey! You know I'm the better fighter!"

"Ah yes, but which of us was the one who took a moon and a half before she caught her first hare?"

"Well, we can't all be perfect." A glint settled in Echopaw's eye as she spotted a grand elm tree. "But I bet you can't climb that tree."

"Nonsense, I bet I am a better climber than any cat in SkyClan!"

"Prove it."

Pinepaw sauntered over to the base of the tree and unsheathed his claws. He shifted his weight from paw to paw and took a running leap at the trunk of the elm. His claws hooked into the bark, and he used his powerful back legs to propel himself upwards. He quickly came to a branch that seemed sturdy enough to support his weight and crawled out onto it. Pinepaw let out a breath he wasn't aware he had been holding and flashed a smirk to Echopaw on the ground.

"See? I told you so."

"I concede defeat; who even taught you how to do that?"

"Sorry, that's my little secret. Anyways I'm going to-"

Pinepaw was cut off by a cracking sound. There was little time to process what the noise was before he was plummeting to the ground. He let out a shriek. The branch splintered when it hit the ground, Pinepaw thrown off to the side. Echopaw raced over, heart pounding in her ears. Her body shook, why wasn't Pinepaw moving? Was she to blame for someone else's demise once more? She begged StarClan to spare him.

Pinepaw twitched a little before slowly getting to his paws. "Owww…."

"Don't scare me like that! I thought I lost you!"

"Oh come on, you can't get rid of me that easily." He winced as he put pressure on his left foreleg, "Stings…"

"You're lucky that's the only thing you hurt!" Echopaw went to his side and pressed against him to take some of the weight off his paw. "We're going back to camp. Hunting trip's over."

"Aww, we didn't catch anything though!"

Pinepaw seemed to be taking it all in great strides, laughing even in the face of his own pain. "Come on Echoes, you gotta admit it's a little funny. Of all ways to go, I think falling off a tree is pretty humorous."

"It's not to me!"

"I'm sorry to worry you, but I'm okay. That's the important thing, right?" He nuzzled her side. Echopaw couldn't be angry at him for long and gave him a soft smile.

"You're right."

The duo took their time getting back to camp, not wanting to aggravate Pinepaw's injury by moving too quickly, and immediately went to Kestrelflight for treatment. The medicine cat complained about being delayed in leaving to his meeting but treated him all the same. Thankfully, Kestrelflight said Pinepaw's leg was merely sprained and not broken, and recommended he keep weight off it for a while. After that it was time for the ceremony.

Echopaw noticed Typhoon whispering something into Darkstar's ear and they both starting laughing aloud. She wondered what was so funny, unsure of whether she had ever heard Darkstar laugh before. At the very least, he seemed to be in a better mood than earlier.

"Everyone meet under the Tallrock for a clan meeting!" Once the cats of WindClan were gathered, he continued with the next part of the ceremony. "Typhoon, are you satisfied that this apprentice is ready to become a warrior?"

"I am."

"I call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Pepplepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code?"

"I do!"

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Pepplepaw you shall be known as Pepplefoot. WindClan welcomes you as a warrior. Oakleaf, are you satisfied that your apprentice is ready to become a warrior?"

"Yes."

"Yes…" Oakleaf answered

"I, Darkstar of WindClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand your noble code and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn. Pinepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code even at the cost of your own life?"

"I promise!"

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name." Darkstar broke off to avoid bursting into laughter. "Pinepaw you shall be known as Pinefall. WindClan welcomes you as a warrior."

Pinefall had a look of bewilderment on his face as the cheers of the clan rang out. Echopaw couldn't help her chuckles.

"I guess you are right: it was funny!"


	5. Hopes and Sorrows

**One of the smaller changes in this version of the story is that conversation between Echopaw and Darkstar was not in the original and appeared to have been added on later. I also can't exactly say for certain, but it also feels as though this version takes place over a larger period of time, though it's hard to tell the timeline of the original.  
**

 **TRIVIA: Based on the different version of the characters presented in here, this story is no longer connected to what happens in "Second Flight", "Winds of Change" or any of the other warriors stories I had published back in 2011. The original idea was that each of the stories would eventually line up with one another to give three or more perspectives on certain scenes but that idea was ultimately scrapped. There is, however, a reference to one of those scenes in the next chapter.  
**

 **This chapter is what you may call mood whiplash.**

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Chapter 5: Hopes and Sorrows

Pebblefoot and Pinefall sat in the middle of the camp, the half-moon high above their heads. Even though the two siblings were itching to talk to one another, they knew they had to remain silent to honor their dedication to their clan. Pebblefoot was staring at the sky, entranced by the beauty of the stars against the black sky. In her humble opinion, Silverpelt looked even grander than usual when it was against the Leafbare backdrop. It was as if every StarClan warrior was watching over them now, giving their support from beyond the veil.

"Pinefall?"

It took him a moment to realize that it wasn't Pebblefoot that called out his name and instead the voice belonged to Echopaw. Her blue eyes were locked onto him as she padded over. He knew he couldn't break his vow of silence and so made a facial expression to convey that he was listening.

"I hope you don't mind me interrupting you, but I had a nightmare again."

Pebblefoot turned her head to look at Echopaw, worry evident. The gray she-cat stood up and pressed her side against Echopaw's as if to say 'I'm here for you.' Pinefall replicated the sentiment on the other side. The white she-cat was warm between them; a sharp contrast against the cold night.

"Thank you," She whispered. "You're the best friends I could ever ask for."

Pebblefoot's eyes darted around the camp to make sure no other cat was awake before daring to speak. "We will watch over you tonight, so please rest easy."

Pinefall's eyes almost bulged out of their sockets at hearing his sister speak. She would dare to break her silence? Echopaw folded a little in on herself, shifting her eyes towards the sky.

"The stars are beautiful tonight."

"Mhmm…" Pebblefoot nodded. She gasped as a streak of light cut through the blackness. "Oh! A falling star!"

"A falling star?"

"They say if you see one fall, you're due for good luck!" She didn't want to mention that was only if it fell to the right. If it fell to the left- as this one had- misfortune would soon follow. It felt inappropriate to say such a thing to someone who just awoke from a terrible dream and she didn't point it out.

"I think we all could use some good luck right about now…"

Pebblefoot bit her tongue. If what the others had told her was true, they were not going to be so lucky. "Y-yeah… Now go on and get some rest,"

At dawn, an orange she-cat slunk out of the warriors' den to relieve them of their vigil. Oakleaf immediately noticed three bodies rather than the two that were meant to be there. Pebblefoot was off to the side, fighting to remain awake, while Pinefall was practically frozen in his spot. Now who was that cat curled around him? Oakleaf smiled when she recognized the white cat as Echopaw, and hesitated. She didn't want to ruin their moment but the others would be waking up soon and she ventured that they didn't want _rumors_.

"Congratulations you two; you're now officially warriors. Now go get some rest."

Pebblefoot stretched and yawned and walked into the den. Pinefall waited a few more moments before he sheepishly admitted,

"I don't want to disturb her…"

Thankfully for the new warrior, Echopaw began to stir and was awake soon after. She gave a faint purr and a 'thank you' before she got up and allowed Pinefall to make his way to the den.

"Please don't tell anyone?"

"I won't as long as you don't break her heart."

"Of course."

Two moons passed without incidence, and it appeared that the bought of bad luck hanging over WindClan had finally ended. Even the whitecough season was gentle on the clan, and the clan was blessed with the birth of a litter of healthy kittens. Perhaps much of the clan allowed themselves to become complacent in the wake of the peace, but others felt anxious as if they were waiting for their luck to come crashing down upon them.

It happened shortly after the start of Newleaf, when the border patrol was near the Horseplace. One of the newer apprentices, Icepaw, apparently sensed something unusual and called over the rest of the patrol to her to help identify what it was. Fallensparrow's fur bristled when he realized what it was: a dog. Very recent, too.

It was upon them soon after. He was a Labrador, and far larger than any of the cats on the patrol. The canine barreled over Icepaw, snapping at her. The small apprentice screamed and swiped at the dog. He growled and flung her away before trying to charge. The other warriors positioned themselves in front of her and did their best to try and overpower the dog. It almost worked.

Oakleaf was just a little too slow in jumping out of his way. His jaws locked around her throat and he began to shake her violently. The rest of the patrol attacked at that point, desperate to get him off her. He dropped Oakleaf to the ground when he got a nasty scratch to the underbelly, and he fled with his tail between his legs.

Panting and tired, the patrol didn't give themselves any time to celebrate. They looked to Oakleaf, expecting her to get up at any moment. When she didn't, Lightclaw went to her side for a closer look. She began to shake with scarcely contained rage.

"She's not breathing!"

The others ran over to their side, only to confirm what Lightclaw what said. The warriors carefully picked up Oakleaf's body and carried her back to camp. All activity stopped when they saw what happened. Kestrelflight was called to announce the cause of death. The brown-gray cat took a few calming breaths as he looked over the body of one of his closest friends'. They had known each other since they were kits, and friends before they even became apprentices. Kestrelflight fought back the tears for the moment though to complete the examination.

"Cause of death; a broken neck." His only solace was that it must've been a quick and relatively painless death. Still…

He couldn't stand watching them prepare for the vigil and so stole away to hide in the cavern of the Tallrock. Shortly after he was joined by Darkstar and Typhoon. They didn't have to exchange words; they already knew.

Even as much as this hurt to lose a longtime friend, they knew that they were not even halfway through StarClan's punishment.


	6. First Strike

**I really love dogs, but unfortunately for the cats in this story there needed to be another disaster. Labradors are great dogs; though unfortunately for Oakleaf, she met an aggressive one.**

 **TRIVIA: The fact about the direction of stars falling is a lesser known superstition. I can't say for other countries, but in the United States the general belief is that they grant wishes. I thought the lesser known superstition felt more fitting for the setting.**

* * *

Chapter 6: First Strike

Pebblefoot knew she had to do something to cheer Echopaw up. She knew she was lucky; she still had her mother and her brother but was painfully aware that Echopaw had lost nearly everyone important to her. Nightwhisper and Daysong, Spottedfire, and now even Oakleaf. Pebblefoot knew how important it was to grieve for the fallen, but she also knew that moving on would eventually lessen the hurt.

Pinefall agreed that he would go and do something with Hailpaw and Smokepaw; get them away from camp for a few hours. That left Pebblefoot with Echopaw. Pebblefoot thought about what they could do before remembering Echopaw had once mentioned a she-cat from ThunderClan named Hawkpaw.

"Why are we heading towards ThunderClan? I thought you said we were going hunting?"

"And we are!"

"Let's not break the Warrior Code…"

Pebblefoot ignored her weak protestation and scurried to the border. Echopaw gave her a quizzical look before a brown tabby emerged from the underbrush. Almost immediately, Echopaw perked up a little.

"Hawkpaw!"

She gave a low laugh, "It's actually Hawkwing now."

"How'd you get the name?"

"Let's just say it has something to do with my mentor, Jayfeather." Hawkwing's smile looked a little too fake for her to be telling the whole truth. However, Echopaw and Pebblefoot didn't think they had any right to really try and pry into her story.

"So how do the two of you know each other?"

"Met her a few moons back, end of Leaffall maybe? Anyways she seemed friendly enough so I invited her over to this side of the border- it's not like anyone's going to really protest a medicine cat on our territory, right? She tagged along with me for a while, at least until I was caught by my mentor. She was a little… too interested in him." Pebblefoot answered.

"Wha- that's a load of mousedung! I wasn't 'interested', so shut your mouth. I was just confused. He looked younger than you."

"Surreee. You keep telling yourself that."

As their argument continued, Echopaw's expression slowly became brighter and brighter. Eventually she was even laughing aloud.

"Oh, you're smiling!" Pebblefoot's eyes were sparkling. Her plan was working! "Well now that we've established that Hawkwing is completely moonstruck by our illustrious deputy-"

"I am not!"

"We can start hunting!"

The three she-cats nodded their heads and split to head in separate directions. Hawkwing was careful not to cross the border into WindClan territory. Gathering herbs on other clan's lands might not be considered as taboo but hunting on their land would be unforgiveable. Echopaw and Pebblefoot made sure to extend the same curtesy to the ThunderClan territory.

Armed with their catches, they sat at the border between the two clans. Pebblefoot proudly showed off the plump squirrel she had caught, a chubby thing that scarcely fit in her jaws. Echopaw felt a little sad that her rabbit seemed a little scraggly next to the squirrel, but the other two still seemed to approve of it. Perhaps most shockingly, Hawkwing had somehow managed to catch an impressively large trout. The other two gaped at her.

"I thought you were a medicine cat!"

"Who taught you how to catch that? Aren't you ThunderClan?"

Hawkwing cocked her head to the side. "Ah… Um… I'm not exactly sure how I did it? It's like instinct, I guess?"

"I don't think fishing is an 'instinct' but… Hey! Maybe you're a reincarnation of someone?"

"Ahahah… I think reincarnation is just an old queen's tale."

"Yeah, don't be silly Pebblefoot." Echopaw playfully scolded the warrior. "Don't you know Hawkwing is just naturally talented at everything? Jayfeather didn't teach her medicine, she taught him!"

"You two aren't funny." Hawkwing rolled her eyes. "Eat your prey and leave me alone."

"Wait, let me have a bite of that trout. Never had it before." Echopaw grimaced as she tasted the fish.

"It's quite different from rabbit, isn't it? Want some, Pebblefoot?"

"Uh, no thanks. I don't trust that slimy thing."

Once they had all finished eating what they caught, they stretched out to bask in the sunlight. At some point in their relaxation, Hawkwing started to spin some wild fantasy about how she was actually the spirit of a Dark Forest cat aiming to seek redemption for the evils she had done in a past life. This had the other two cracking up, not noticing that Hawkwing looked a little upset at them for laughing. The conversation went on from there and eventually Pebblefoot admitted,

"I have a crush on Hailpaw."

"My brother? Seriously?"

"What? He's so sweet!"

There was barely any more conversation had when there was a soft scraping sound in the underbrush. Pebblefoot's ears perked up.

"A snake! I hear ThunderClan used to eat these in the old forest!"

"Pebblefoot I don't think…" Echopaw began as she noticed Pebblefoot dropping into a hunter's crouch.

Hawkwing stared at the snake for a moment, wondering where she had seen its pattern before. It was a pale gray with a black zigzag running down the length of its spine and had an inverted 'v' shape on the neck.

"Gotcha!" Pebblefoot shouted as soon as her paws connected with the snake's midsection. It began to hiss and lifted its head.

"An adder! Pebblefoot let it go now!"

"Huh?" The snake's fangs sunk into her forepaw. She leapt away from it with a yelp, "It bit me!"

Echopaw slammed her paw on the adder's head and delivered a swift bite to its neck. Hawkwing raced over to examine Pebblefoot's injury, blood dribbling from the wound. It looked like a minor wound but Hawkwing knew better.

"We need to get Pebblefoot back to camp now! That snake was venomous!"

Echopaw wasn't sure which camp was closer but she didn't have the time to think it over. Hawkwing raced ahead to forewarn Kestrelflight of the situation while the others trailed behind as closely as they could. Pebblefoot was quickly losing her energy, breaths starting to coming in gasping gulps. Echopaw was never as happy to see the camp in her life as she was in that moment.

Once Pebblefoot was settled on the grass, Echopaw began to count the heartbeats that passed. Were they almost done getting everything they needed? Why weren't they out there already?

"H-hey… Don't close your eyes Pebble… Just listen to my voice, okay?"

"It hurts…. Make it stop… Please…"

After what felt like an eternity to the two cats, Hawkwing came racing out of the den followed closely by Kestrelflight. She was carrying a clove of garlic while Kestrelflight had a mouthful of thyme.

"Here, take this." Kestrelflight pushed the herb towards the ailing warrior who devoured it without hesitation. A little bit of the tension in her frame seemed to disappear. She also took the garlic without complaint.

For a moment, Echopaw was relieved that her friend was going to make it. Then she saw the solemn expression on the medicine cat's faces, and she realized exactly what it meant. She shook her head- it couldn't be.

"I'm sorry, Echopaw, but there's nothing else we can do. All we could do was make her more comfortable before she… passes."

"No. You… You're playing a cruel prank, aren't you? Well it's not funny! Guys? Oh… oh… She's really going to-?"

"I'm afraid so." Hawkwing averted her eyes.

"You should say your goodbyes."

Echopaw padded to where Pebblefoot laid. She pressed her nose to the top of the warrior's forehead. "I'm so sorry… You didn't deserve this… It should've been me."

"Don't say things like that. It's not your fault; I take full responsibility for this. I was the one who wanted to hunt there and I was the one who angered the snake. Nothing you did… I suppose… This is… punishment" Pebblefoot struggled through every word, body shaking even though it was warm out. Her breaths were becoming even more ragged by the second.

Pebblefoot closed her green eyes before ever finishing her sentence. In the silence following her passing, Echopaw whispered her goodbyes.


	7. Frozen Fear

Uploading this slightly early because I don't know if I will have access to the internet tomorrow during the time I usually upload a new chapter. We're just past the halfway part of the story, so there's that too. If I were to describe any of the chapters in this story as 'dark', it would be this one.

 **TRIVIA:** Hawkwing is the reincarnation of Hawkfrost. That's one of the stranger elements that, for some reason, my younger self decided to leave in.

* * *

Chapter 7: Frozen Fear

When she awoke, she was alone and far from her den. The sky was devoid of all but nine harsh pinpricks of light, not even the light of the Silverpelt gracing the tapestry above. The earth beneath her paws was as cold as the ice and snow, and there was no sound besides her own breathing. There were trees in the distance bending to the force of an unseen wind. The shadows they cast were twisted and writhed like a nest of snakes.

"H-hello?" Echopaw called out, "Anybody there?"

"Oh, my dear sweet Echopaw," A familiar voice crooned with false love. "Don't you ever pay attention?"

From the shadows emerged a she-cat with a pelt like flames. She moved with an unnatural gait, as if every single one of her bones were broken and left to heal on their own. Echopaw tried to move backwards, to flee, but found herself unable to move her paws.

"Spottedfire…?"

"I should have let you die on the Thunderpath. Why should I have given my life for someone so… undeserving?"

Echopaw was unable to respond as the shadows swallow the corrupted shade of Spottedfire and left her alone once more in the frozen wasteland. Echopaw squeezed her eyes shut, begging herself to wake up. 'Please', she pleaded, 'let me wake up!'

A new voice cut through the night, "Trying to hide? I always knew you were weak but this? This is just pathetic."

That voice! Echopaw's eyes flew open and land on Oakleaf. Her head was at an unnatural angle and scarcely attached to the rest of her body.

"Who would have thought that a murderer would be so cowardly?"

"B-but…"

"My precious daughter was as brilliant as the sun, and you killed her. You couldn't be satisfied with just that, could you? No… Your ambitions won't stop there."

With her words, Oakleaf forced Echopaw's head to the side, granting her the image of cats with their throats slit and lying in pools of their own blood. Leaders, kits, it didn't matter. All laid before her lifeless and cold. Disembodied voices accused her from the darkness,

"You betrayed us,"

"You lied,"

"And it still wasn't enough."

Oakleaf gave a sinister smile as Echopaw's vision faded, "Don't think you're going to escape retribution!"

The she-cat's body convulsed as she changed forms, elongating, and becoming reptilian before her very eyes. The creature locked it's pitch black eyes upon her, inching closer and closer.

"You could have saved me!" The creature screamed with Pebblefoot's voice, "But you watched me die instead!"

It wrapped itself around Echopaw, squeezing until she could neither breathe nor see. Once satisfied, it disappeared with a laugh. Echopaw was once again alone, and yet she still wasn't waking up. She swiveled her head from side to side, trying to catch the next nightmare creature.

Echopaw soon locked eyes with a shadow that felt familiar but she couldn't quite place. This one was a sooty ashen color, her flesh torn open and left to fester. This mysterious cat pined Echopaw to the forest floor and laughed in her face.

"You'll watch as they tear me apart, piece by piece! And all you'll care about is how wonderous it is that it's happening to me rather than you!" The shadow's claws dug into Echopaw's cheek as she struggled to get away, "What a fox-heart!"

Echopaw somehow managed to stand as the cat returned to the darkness and the scene once more switched. This one was out on the moorlands, where another familiar cat awaited her. She didn't know why she couldn't remember his name, but she knew somehow that he's important somehow. He's half midnight black, the other half white like the underbelly of a magpie. His eyes are a deep amber and burn brighter than the setting sun. The longer Echopaw stared at the silent warrior the more she noticed the red hanging from his stomach. She nearly gagged at the realization of what they were.

"The stars shall all become nothing because you dare to shine brighter! Your actions will lead to the collapse of our clan! Seems the simplest solution would be taking your life."

Echopaw turned tail and tried to run but she was caught almost immediately, pinned against the ground. She's given little time to struggle as the warrior soon removed his weight from her back and he dipped his head as though he were apologizing. It was as if he regained his sense in this nonsensical world and was horrified by the thought of what he became in this darkness.

With that, the tom disappeared and the moor dissolved into the camp. Standing under the shade of the Tallrock was another cat. Echopaw approached him cautiously, noting that he looked rather similar to her and felt familiar like the other mysterious ones, but knew it could be dangerous to truly approach him. This tom's body was devoid of hostile energy and he allowed her to come within a few tail-lengths of him.

He lifted his head towards the sky that only had the nine stars and the heavens explode with a burst of light, swallowing the darkness with its brilliance. She couldn't look at it long, unused to such brightness. The cat before her lowered his head and smiled,

"We are the victims of StarClan's punishment. To balance the hatred in the heart of the clan, innocent lives must be sacrificed,"

"Why is StarClan doing this?"

"WindClan needs a new leader before it is destroyed by old grudges and imagined slights. Find the brightest star, and let it shine it's light on our path."

Spottedfire, Oakleaf, Pebblefoot, and the other two mysterious warriors gathered around the tom, their forms restored to how they looked in life. Together they spoke, "Please find them in time, we are counting on you."

Echopaw nodded her head and was finally freed from her nightmare. Worried faces surrounded her nest, not just apprentices but warriors as well. Hailpaw and Smokepaw pressed against her and start talking over each other to try to make sure she's okay.

"We heard you screaming!"

"Couldn't wake you up!"

"Are you alright?"

Echopaw couldn't stop her shivering, "It was another nightmare. Much worse than the others."

What she left out is that she thinks it's much more than that.


	8. A New Perspective

Remember I said several chapters back that we would get an actual glimpse at SkyClan? Well here it is; one of the greatest changes between this and the original due to a much different catalyst setting it off. As I said before; it was for the better that there's no faintly green cats nor mystically appearing symbols that serve no actual purpose.

 **TRIVIA:** Yes, those three characters in this chapter were named after Fire Emblem characters. If Fire Emblem Warriors had come out earlier, I'm sure my younger self would have name-dropped Rowan in this chapter as well.

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Chapter 8: A New Perspective

An ear-splitting yowl ripped through the early morning air. Echopaw jolted up from her nest, nearly barreled into her siblings in her haste and raced to the entrance of the den. What was going on? Was the camp under attack? Hailpaw was right on her tail,

"Who's attacking?"

"I don't know! I don't see anyone…"

The cats slunk out of the den, bellies close to the ground and eyes scanning for any potential ambushers. Smokepaw proceeded far less cautiously, padding to the middle of the camp with nary a care it seemed. She looked right. She looked left. Smokepaw then opened her mouth to speak only to be cut off by Darkstar shouting from the Tallrock den.

"That is enough, Badgerstrike!"

Echopaw turned to her brother and mouthed the word 'who?' He could only offer a shrug; he didn't think there was a cat in any of the five clans with a name like that. Either way, it seems it's an argument between the leader and some unknown individual rather than an attack.

"I told you not to call me that!" Echopaw can't help but to feel that she's heard the voice before, but never this loud or filled with such spite.

"And yet, by rejecting your warrior name, I can't help but to feel as though you think you're better than everyone else in these clans. We should have never let you in."

From the corner of her eye she saw the newly arrived Kestrelflight drop a bundle of freshly harvested herbs in shock. The brown-gray medicine cat looked at the gathered crowd, many of the younger cats confused as to what was happening while the more experienced ones looked more worried as if such a thing had occurred before in the past.

"I thought we were past this…" Kestrelflight spoke to no one in particular, scarcely loud enough to be heard by Echopaw.

The next part of the argument was muffled. Echopaw very nearly went closer to listen more clearly only to jump back as Darkstar was thrown out of the den by the weight of a much smaller cat. The pieces fell into place as soon as Echopaw saw the deputy with the fur on his back raised and teeth bared.

"After all I've done for you! You think you can lead this clan? Well I'd agree for once; you're leading it straight to ruin!"

Darkstar looked away from him for a moment, blood running from a deep scratch to his muzzle. After that moment he returned Typhoon's steely gaze with a harsh glare and said in a low tone. "Then leave. It's clear you never cared."

"I will." Typhoon stormed away with his head held high. Just as he reached the edge of the camp he added. "Oh, and Darkstar? I want you to remember this. I want you to remember that everything that's happened, everything that's to come: all of it was your fault."

It was silent as the deputy's form faded from sight. Kestrelflight cautiously went to Darkstar's side to attempt to stanch the bleeding only to have to dodge a swipe from the leader. Most of those gathered took that as their cue to disperse, attempting to resume their day as though they hadn't just witnessed what happened. After his attempt to assist the leader, Kestrelflight reluctantly left his side to regather the forgotten herbs. Darkstar raised his head after a few minutes and motioned to Echopaw.

"I need you to go after him."

"Why me?"

"You don't need to know why; just make sure he comes back. Do whatever it takes."

Echopaw briefly paused to tell her siblings that she was going to be gone for a while and then bolted in the direction she had seen the deputy leave. At first it was difficult for her to pinpoint his scent among all the trails all the rest of the clan had made over the past few days, but the further she went the clearer it became. It couldn't have been long since he left, but even running as fast as she could, she could tell she was far behind.

She skidded to the stop as soon as she came across the RiverClan border. Echopaw knew that Typhoon had passed through this way, but she was unsure of what would happen if she dared to follow. She paced for a second, attempting to determine the best course of action. There was no telling what would happen to her if she were caught on RiverClan territory.

"Think, Echopaw, think!"

She wished she had made a friend in RiverClan. If this were the ThunderClan border, all she would have to do is to catch the attention of Hawkwing who would vouch for her and keep her safe from harm. Go ahead and risk being attacked? Go back and risk upsetting Darkstar further? Echopaw took a deep breath. There had never been another choice, had there?

With a prayer to StarClan, Echopaw darted across the border to continue her chase. She became even more confused upon realizing he wasn't headed towards RiverClan camp and had even crossed into SkyClan territory. This time she didn't have a choice to make as the border patrol was standing right there, staring at the WindClan cat a tail-length away from their land.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you a little far from home?" The gray she-cat in front of the patrol asked. Echopaw could see in her eyes that she would be willing to hear her out. She looked trustworthy.

"I'm looking for someone."

"Oh! I think I know who you're talking about…" She turned her head to two of the apprentices behind her. "Robinpaw! Firpaw! I'm going to take her back to camp, could you finish the borders with Mistheart?"

The two apprentices opened their mouths to protest but apparently decided against it. The trio nodded their heads and walked away without complaint, leaving Echopaw with the friendly she-cat.

"Now then, I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Stormcloud. Since you're from WindClan, I suppose you want to meet with my mate?"

"O-oh… No, actually I'm looking for-"

"I know. Just play along for now, okay?"

Echopaw let herself be led by Stormcloud, wondering as to why the name sounded like she had heard it before and not in the way one would be of a name that was said in passing. Stormcloud didn't speak much while they walked and though they crossed paths with several SkyClan cats who gave confused looks, no one yelled at either of them for Echopaw being there.

Echopaw had never been to another clan's camp before and yet she felt a little cheated by how similar it appeared to the WindClan one. For some reason, she thought they all lived in the trees or something along those lines. The area around the camp was a bit sandy, and there were a few more stone outcroppings along the way, yet it still felt the same.

Stormcloud stopped at the entrance to a cave-like structure in the middle of the camp and nosed the moss covering the entrance away. "Featherstar should be in there right now."

Featherstar? Suddenly it all made sense in Echopaw's mind. Stormcloud was the name of the ThunderClan she-cat that had allegedly betrayed her clan to steal Featherstar away to reform SkyClan. Stormcloud must have known that was what Echopaw was thinking because she smiled sheepishly.

"Am I really that infamous in WindClan these days?"

"You could say that… Either way, thank you."

"Of course. Featherstar, you have a guest!"

Echopaw scented the air once more before she entered the cavern. While there were many new cats there, she could easily draw out the fact that there was already someone else from WindClan there. Of all the places to be, why would he come here?

She let her eyes adjust to the darkness of the cave and spotted two cats by the far wall. The larger one, ashen in color, greeted her warmly.

"Oh, hello there. You must be this 'Echopaw' I've been hearing about."

Echopaw bowed her head. "Hello, Featherstar. You as well, Typhoon."

"I suppose Darkstar sent you?" The deputy let out a low growl when Featherstar said that name.

"Y-yes. I think he might feel sorry?"

"I'm not going back so I can be disrespected by that fleabag."

"I appreciate you've come all this way, Echopaw, but I think Ty just needs some time away from WindClan."

"If you don't mind me asking… How do you two know each other? This seems rather far…"

Featherstar grinned. "As you know, I'm Darkstar's brother. This means I'm originally from WindClan."

"Not this story."

"Shushhh; she hasn't heard it. Anyways, since it's already rather late, I'll tell a condensed version of it. When I was merely Featherpaw and in my first or second moon of training there was this huge commotion. Apparently, there was an intruder who asked to join the clan. You can guess who that could be."

"Could we not."

"This loner couldn't have been more than a kit and yet he kept insisting he was the same age as the rest of us. We couldn't exactly prove what he was saying was true, so it was decided he'd be made an apprentice. Problem was, we didn't know what his name meant."

"Despite the fact I told them repeatedly, they insisted I needed a proper 'warrior name'. Well, turns out my mentor was a real piece of work and he decided to use my naming as a sort of 'lesson'."

"Oh, now you're interested to talk?"

"Hmph."

Featherstar let out a sad sigh. "He was rather cruel to all the younger cats; myself included. He set out to make every single one of us look bad in front of Onestar. Not only did this cat force Typhoon to accept a name he was uncomfortable with-"

"Clumsy, temperamental, and known kit-killers. I don't think any cat would want to be named after such a vile creature."

"He actively encouraged us to bully each other. I think I got the worst of the bullying; it's terrifying when your own clanmates are threatening to kill you. Back then Darkstar and I had an okay relationship though I wouldn't say we were ever truly close, and I don't think he ever realized what was going on with me. Well… After our dad was killed during a battle that all changed. He blamed me for it; said I should've done more. I didn't know what to do."

"So, imagine him as Featherwing, as a brand-new warrior. He feels isolated in his own clan and feels like there's nothing good in his life. Only Kest, Oakleaf and I seemed to show him any real kindness. I encouraged him to leave if he thought it would be better for him in the long run, and he took his chance. The three of us saw him off with Stormcloud by his side. I'd say it's worked out well, except Darkstar took him leaving as a personal attack. There were other things, but you know how Darkstar and Featherstar are these days."

"I don't think my brother is evil or anything. I think he's hurt and lashing out." Featherstar's ears drooped slightly. "I wish I knew how to reach out and help him, but I don't think he'd want me to. Now he's even gone against you, Ty…"

Echopaw listened to the two of them silently, saw the guilt they were both trying to hide. She wished she knew how to help but recognized that this was out of her league.

"But I don't think you want to hear more of our reminiscing," Featherstar gave a sad laugh

"Thank you for telling me though. I had no idea about any of that, and I'm sorry you went through that."

"It's alright. I think the experience made me stronger. I just wish I could reach out to Darkstar; find some way to erase all the bad blood between us."

Echopaw bowed her head once more and prepared to leave. "Hey, Typhoon? Are you going back?"

"I… I don't think I can…"

She didn't say anything more to that, merely expressed her thanks once more and left. On her journey back home, she kept close to the shoreline to minimize any conflicts with being on the other clan's lands and came back to WindClan just as the moon began to rise. Kestrelflight and Darkstar were waiting for her. Echopaw told them both that Typhoon had crossed the border and had refused to come back. She left out all the parts involving SkyClan and Featherstar on purpose, not wanting to upset either cat.

Darkstar didn't say anything. He just looked sad.


	9. Whirlwind

**Outside of this chapter there's only about three chapters and the short epilogue left. Here's another chapter in which the plot deviates slightly from how it was initially written; a combination of two chapters from the original if you will. In addition, I wonder how many of you have gone back to school? I move into my dorm and officially start my studies back up on Monday. Time flies.  
**

 **Trivia: Stormcloud from the previous chapter was the first OC created for the fanfictions my younger self wrote. We don't talk about the original version of Stormcloud (ie. the version shown in 'Storm's Prophecy' and 'Battle of the Stars') because that, my dear readers, is called regret. At least she eventually formed the basis for my true OC in modern days; completely separated from the Warriors fandom.**

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Chapter 9: Whirlwind

A few days later, it was time for Smokepaw, Echopaw, and Hailpaw's warrior ceremony. Darkstar looked out of place atop the Tallrock without Typhoon by his side, the deputy still refusing to return to camp, and there were whispers amongst those gathered as to whether Darkstar would choose to appoint a new deputy to replace him. Echopaw didn't want to listen to them gossip. She just wanted them to be happy for the three of them. She wanted them to be happy they were finally becoming warriors.

"Sedgewhisker, are you satisfied that this apprentice is ready to become a warrior?"

"I am."

"I, Darkstar, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Smokepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code?"

"Of course, I do!"

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Smokepaw you shall be known as Smokeshade. WindClan welcomes you as a warrior." He repeated the process for Hailpaw who earned the name Hailstorm. Just as he began the process for Echopaw, another cat jumped onto the Tallrock to stand by Darkstar's side. Darkstar looked over briefly at his deputy and offered him the tiniest of smiles before continuing.

"By the powers of StarClan, I give to Echopaw her warrior name. From this moment on, she has earned the name Echolight. WindClan welcomes you as a warrior."

As the clan let out the cheers for the three new warriors, Echolight couldn't help but notice the two cats on the Tallrock. They pressed their heads together, acting for all intents and purposes as if they had never fought in the first place. If her ears were telling her the truth over all the shouting, she even heard one of them let out a tiny little trill. It was… rather cute, if Echolight ignored the viciousness she had witnessed just a few days ago.

The vigil that night was nothing special, though Pinefall decided to join the three of them partway through. He greeted Hailstorm and Smokeshade with a soft meow and curled next to Echolight to go to sleep. There was a tightness in her chest as she watched him rest, an overwhelming urge to force herself to remember this moment for all eternity. She decided; when the time felt right, she would talk to Pinefall about her feelings to see if he would reciprocate.

The next two moons were peaceful as the trees went from their explosion of blooms into the verdure of its Greenleaf cover. It was apparent it would be a hot season scarcely after it began. Most of the WindClan cats refused to expend much energy during the warmest parts of the day and preferred to hunt and train at dawn or sundown. When the sun was at its peak, most of the cats retreated to the shadows in an attempt to remain cool, and a few brave cats dared to play in the shallows of the lake.

Smokeshade was not happy that she had a mission on one of the hottest days of the season so far. Rainstep had come back from hunting and reported scenting something unusual towards the direction of the mountains, where the forest met WindClan territory to the north. She had volunteered to go and check it out, not knowing that meant she would have to travel during sunhigh. At the least she had also managed her siblings to tag along in her misery.

Their thick fur might have helped them during the Leafbare months but it only hindered them here. Hailstorm looked ready to pass out, panting loudly and breathing through his mouth. Echolight was unsteady on her paws, and Smokeshade herself was feeling light-headed from the heat. They unanimously decided that they needed a break.

"I think I'm dying." Hailstorm said with his eyes wide as he stretched out beneath the shade of an oak tree.

"Don't joke about that."

"Heatstroke isn't a joke."

"Oh, hello Kestrelflight, didn't know you took over my sisters' body to impart us with your wisdom eternal. Ow! Did you just hit me?"

"You deserved it…"

By time they felt they were ready to continue their journey, the sun was beginning to descend. The sky was streaked through with brilliant hues, the shadows grown long. Unfortunately, it seemed in their relaxation they had forgotten their mission. Smokeshade began to attempt to discern the scent in the air, only now realizing it didn't seem normal.

"Is that a-?"

"FOX!" Hailstorm screamed as it pounced from the underbrush.

The vixen sunk its teeth into the closest target which happened to be Echolight. The she-cat was lucky that the fox had misjudged the distance, for the fox's teeth were in her thigh rather than her throat. It was also fortunate that she seemed to have not noticed Hailstorm and Smokeshade's presence, for she was now outnumbered. The vixen contemplated the situation for a moment; from the cat dangling from her jaws to the two others attacking her. She gracefully spun around and ran with her catch.

Hailstorm and Smokeshade did their best to keep up with the fox through the thick underbrush, ears primed to hear for their sister's soft cries of pain each time she was jostled. Droplets of blood flecked many of the leaves along their path,

"Do you think this is the same fox from back in Leafbare?"

"Who cares if it is? I'm going to kick its tail either way!"

The fox didn't manage to get far, likely realizing just how heavy Echolight was compared to herself. The vixen deposited her catch in the middle of a small clearing and faced the two others with a snarl. Echolight tried to get up to assist her siblings but found herself unable to move her leg. Worried, she looked down at it and let out a low whine when she saw how it looked. Most of the fur on her upper leg was gone, exposing the pink skin beneath, and blood oozed from the teeth marks.

Echolight tried to keep up with the fight from where she laid but she couldn't tell who was winning, especially after the vixen was joined by a larger rustic colored fox. Smokeshade had been knocked down several times by the large male but Hailstorm wouldn't allow him to deal in the final blow on his sister. Echolight's vision was fading fast, and she worried if she was going to die.

"Stay with us!" A far-off voice called out to her.

In the space between this world and the next, voices spoke to her. 'It's not your time,' 'come on, you can make it through', 'please wake up!' and 'open your eyes!' was delivered to Echolight's ears while her vision remained dark. Wake up? She wondered: why was she even sleeping? Wait. She remembered.

She came to in the medicine cat's den, her hindleg covered in a thick mesh of cobwebs. Echolight tried to look around, only to have her vision overtaken by brown-gray fur.

"Don't try to get up yet."

"How long have I been out?" Her throat felt dry and it hurt to speak. Kestrelflight pushed a ball of moss soaked in water towards her; she drank from it greedily and gave thanks.

"You've been in and out for the past day. This is the longest you've been awake so I'd mark that as improvement."

"W-wait. Hailstorm and Smokeshade… They were with me, weren't they? Where are they? I need to know they're okay."

A strange look crossed Kestrelflight's features. "How does your leg feel? It was bleeding heavily when you came in. Can you move it any?"

"Kestrelflight? My brother and sister! Are they okay or not?"

The medicine cat opened his mouth and then shut it tightly. "Smokeshade wanted me to tell you that she's sorry for not being here but she loves you very much."

"Ooh. Well, where is she? She knows she can always tell me that herself!"

"I'm sorry Echolight. Those were her last words. She died last night."

"W-what…? And Hailstorm?"

"I'm so sorry. He's not going to make it either."


	10. Broken Bonds

**What's this? Two uploads within the week? What can I say; I'm a bit bored at the moment. One of the changes is the timing of Hailstorm's death. He originally died in a battle with RiverClan but plans changed. The 'voices' Echolight was hearing were the three command positions of the clan.**

 **Trivia: Sometimes it's hard to tell whether Darkstar and Typhoon are trying to pull off some elaborate lies or whether they are telling the truth.  
**

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Chapter 10: Broken Bonds

For the first time in her life, Echolight was truly alone. Since this had all began, she had always had her siblings to lean on; two individuals who could understand her better than anyone else. They were the only two who had been there the whole time. It was their parents they had lost. They had witnessed Spottedfire's demise first hand, Oakleaf had taken up the role of their mother only to be stolen away from them as well. Then poor Pebblefoot; their dear friend lost due to a foolish mistake. Now, even her siblings had been taken away from her. She didn't even get the chance to say her final goodbyes to Smokeshade, stolen away while Echolight was lost in a dreamless sleep. Was that better or worse than the tearful farewell she had given to her younger brother? She wasn't sure. She didn't want to think about it.

With all that's happened, she scarcely paid mind to the scar on her hindleg. Despite all her attempts to regain the strength in the limb, it stubbornly refused to heal properly. Kestrelflight admitted that he didn't know what was wrong; the external wound had closed though the scarring was evident from a fair distance, but she couldn't put any weight into that leg. She thought she got off lucky.

Pinefall was her support system through the whole process. He was there when she took her first steps, when she went to her first patrol and hunting trip after the injury. Even when she admitted she loved him; he said he'd loved her until all the stars in the sky burned out. If it wasn't for him, for her new mate, she wasn't sure she could have gotten through that period in her life.

On a warm day in Leaffall, Echolight found herself out on the moorlands with the leader and deputy on either side of her. There was still hope that she would regain the ability to use all four paws again, and so they were overseeing the attempted recovery. Echolight knew it would do very little in the long run, no longer feeling anything from that leg, but it was still nice to see them make the effort for her. It was nice that they didn't see her as an invalid; many cats in the past had been forced to retire to the elder den with an injury like hers', not thinking they could continue to live their best lives. Their playful banter with one another didn't give her much time to wallow in sadness either, so that was another plus.

"Did you know the two of them are actually mates?" Darkstar couldn't hold back a laugh as he recounted another part of the past for Echolight.

"Seriously? Isn't that against the Code?"

"Well, it's _technically_ not a part of the Code; it's just one of those things we're expected to follow. Besides, I didn't think it was something worth punishing. I thought their courtship was rather adorable; did you know that-"

Echolight did her best to stifle the chuckle that came out as soon as she noticed the scandalized expression on Typhoon's face. "Darkstar, you need to stop telling others my business!"

"Well, since I'm your friend, it's also partially my business, and I think I want to tell Echolight. So there."

"You know, I had called you two lovebirds, but I never expected to be right." Echolight gave a smile. "I think it's cute. How long have you been mates? I promise I won't tell anyone; I honestly doubt anyone would believe me anyways."

"36 moons. At least that's how long since we've put a name to it, but I'd add a few more moons in for that awkward pining stage."

"And nobody else knows?"

"It's practically a miracle in-of-itself. It's not like they're subtle about it or anything."

"How would you feel if I gave all the sordid details between you and Rainstep?"

"Go right ahead. I'm not ashamed of it; we're all full-grown cats here. You know... I bet Echolight would love to hear about that time you-"

"You promised we'd never talk about that again!"

For all their merriment, Echolight couldn't shake a foreboding sense of danger. Something about the moorland here made her fur stand on end, but why was that? She closed her eyes and tried to focus on a reason, searching through all her memories to try and explain this sensation. Her eyes flew open. Newleaf; her nightmare.

Her nightmare had tried to warn her of something; there were those three mysterious cats at the end of it. If she thought hard enough, yes! Two of them had to be her siblings; the one that looked like Smokeshade had mentioned something about a fox. But the one in between those two, who was he? All the cats in her dream were those she knew in her waking moments, so why couldn't she remember his voice? How he looked?

"Echolight, you don't look so good."

Staring at the two cats before her, it made too much sense. She finally remembered. How better to make WindClan suffer than to steal away the one cat holding everything together? "We need to go!"

"Hold on, what's going on?"

"Echolight?"

If only she had known that her carrying on was heard by an unwanted guest, she would have never started to panic as she had. "You're in danger! You're next!"

"Am I…?"

The fur on Darkstar's back bristled up as he caught wind of something coming closer. Echolight felt her words die in her throat as she also got a whiff of the scent. It was musty and earthen, thick on the air. Echolight had never seen one in person, but she knew what it had to be.

Echolight had been told stories as a kit about ThunderClan being attacked by a group of badgers not long after they moved to the lake from the old forest. The destruction just a few of them had caused to the entire clan could not be understated and there was only the three of them against this creature. Echolight didn't want to think in such a morose way, but even with the advantage of numbers, it did not seem a clear-cut victory.

"Hey look, it's you."

"Shut up flea-brain."

Echolight couldn't believe the two were still able to joke in this situation. Unbelievable. She had never fought by their sides so she had to wonder if they were always like this, or if they were trying to dissuade her fears by not taking the predicament seriously. Everything about their battle positions exuded confidence, so perhaps this was just how they were. She wasn't sure if she was entirely reassured.

The badger charged at the two toms, snarling, and snapping its jaws. Darkstar leapt to the left while Typhoon moved to the right. The lumbering creature tried to swipe either of the cats but they both danced out of its reach with ease. As the badger fought to kept up with their momentum, Darkstar kicked a cloud of dirt into the animal's eyes, blinding it momentarily.

The badger reared up on its hind legs with a roar, Typhoon taking the opportunity to take a swipe at its vulnerable underbelly. Echolight almost laughed: it seemed like she had been overreacting about the whole thing. There was a reason these two were the highest rank in the clan, after all!

Just as it seemed to be over; they made a mistake.

Typhoon misjudged the length of time needed to move and his long tail got pinned under the weight of the badger. The sudden end to motion threw the smaller cat off balance and had him falling on his side. The badger then bit down on Typhoon's stomach and refused to let go even as the small cat drew his claws through the badger's eyes.

Echolight knew she had to help at this point and jumped into the fray. Even with her balance compromised, even though she wasn't at full strength, she couldn't think past the pounding in her ears screaming at her to do something; she wanted that creature to pay. At long last, the badger released its grip on Typhoon and was felled by their claws. Darkstar panted heavily,

"There. It's not going to bother anyone else now."

Typhoon was rather calm as if he was unaware of the extent of the injury. While unsteady on his paws, he refused to cry out in pain. Echolight knew better and was there to catch him when he stumbled. He offered her a sad grin when he noticed her staring at the grievous wound, "Sorry for being a burden."

Echolight could barely stand to listen to him beat himself over this; it wasn't as though he intended to get hurt, and it sounded too much like her own inner dialogue. She didn't quite listen to the conversation they shared, only hearing bits and pieces as she wondered if there was a chance this time. She wondered if there was hope that someone- anyone! -could be saved.

StarClan was not that merciful. They hadn't been for quite some time.


	11. Final Battle

**Well we are almost to the end here folks. There's just this chapter, the next one and then the epilogue. As for me, I've gone back to university with all the fun _that_ implies. To think that I would have ever thought high school was stressful... **

**Trivia: There's a few small details that were added into this version of the story; the original didn't show much of Darkstar even though he's one of the catalysts to the plot, so this rewrite included just a few more moments where you got to see him.**

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Chapter 11: Final Battle

Against all procedures established by their ancestors, Darkstar did not appoint a new deputy by moonhigh. Some cats were sympathetic and were willing to give him time to mourn, while others were more concerned of the loss of structure. If WindClan was down a third of its command, they were weaker in the eyes of their enemies and could easily lead to another clan deciding to take over their territory. Still, they all knew it would take time before their leader was capable of finding someone to replace the one he had called his best friend.

The next deputy was not announced the next day, nor anytime between the completion of the next full moon cycle. By that time, everyone doubted he would ever assign anyone to that position and tried to seek out Kestrelflight to convince his leader to move on. Kestrelflight would listen for a moment and then would cease as soon as anyone mentioned what had happened, those green eyes once so vibrant with life dull and lifeless. Echolight knew why it hurt him so deeply and offered her sympathies when no other cat would consider Kestrelflight could be hurting worse than their leader.

Some warriors tried to step up to fill in Typhoon's role, not out of any innate desire to one day become leader but more out of necessity. Echolight was one of those cats; she helped arrange the daily patrols, all the while keeping a close eye on their leader. She knew how he was, and she knew it was only a matter of time before Darkstar took his frustrations out on someone else. She knew it was sooner than latter; their most recent Gathering was just short of a disaster.

Darkstar had climbed the tree and had the displeasure of being close enough to Featherstar to have him in his peripheral vision the whole time. While the other clan leaders talked meaningless chatter, mostly good news of newborn kits, new warriors, and apprentices, Echolight could see Darkstar's fur bristling. After Bramblestar finished the recent undertakings of ThunderClan, the leaders all turned to listen to what WindClan had to say. They knew something was wrong. Mistystar stared down at where the deputies were sitting then flicked her eyes to Darkstar, as if she was trying to silently prompt him to explain why there were four rather than five seated down there.

With Owlstar, Mistystar, Bramblestar, and Featherstar all staring him down, Darkstar lost his temper. The growl he let out was audible to all those gathered and caused the other leaders to back away slightly. He then said something to the other leaders that Echolight couldn't hear from where she was seated between Pinefall and Hawkwing, and then it happened. Featherstar tried to get a little closer to his estranged brother, taking a submissive posture to try and convince Darkstar he was not a threat. Darkstar let out another growl and pushed Featherstar off the low tree branch. The gray cat failed to land on his paws, hitting his head on an exposed root. The other leaders all started yelling at Darkstar, the island a sudden center of chaos.

The island was engulfed in shadow as the full moon was swallowed by black clouds. It felt like everyone one was talking at once, and Echolight found herself unable to either see or hear what was happening on the tree branches. She noticed Hawkwing left her side to check on the still body of Featherstar, flanked by the other medicine cats. Echolight let out a relieved sigh when she saw SkyClan's leader force himself to his paws with a shake of his head.

Shortly after, all the clans left the island one by one. All the while they shot dirty looks at the WindClan cats; even those innocent to what had transpired. WindClan was the last to leave, returning to camp in silence. All of WindClan was on edge for the next few days, knowing what was going to happen. Even if they hoped and prayed, they knew it was coming, and several days later Darkstar stood on the Tallrock and announced his plan. It was time to finish this blood feud between SkyClan and WindClan; this would be the battle to end it all.

Echolight was not happy she was among those picked to participate in this battle; she had thought she could perhaps sneak off in the middle of the clan meeting, but it was not meant to be. The next night, just a few hours before moonhigh, the battle party slunk around the lakeside. They didn't speak to each other and the silence was driving Echolight crazy. It gave her time to think, and her mind was going into overdrive. How many times had she thought about how it was this stupid feud with SkyClan that made the clan suffer? While things had to have been bad before she was born, it felt as though it got worse after what happened with Nightwhisper and Daysong. She swore if she made it through this battle alive, she was going to do everything in her power to solve this problem. This had gone on for too long.

"Echolight, are you ready? It's almost time," Some warrior whispered to her. She didn't pay close enough attention to recognize whose voice it was.

"Yeah. I am." Echolight lied.

Beneath the cloak of night, the battle began with a single yowl. Echolight could scarcely keep track of the mass of cats that emerged from the dens and began to engage the WindClan battle patrol. She kept the dueling leaders in her sight as she sought out an opponent. The soft gray she-cat who had once been so friendly to her stepped in her path to the leaders. Stormcloud watched Echolight with a cold expression before launching herself at the younger she-cat.

The she-cats tussled. Echolight took a swipe at Stormcloud's shoulder. The SkyClan cat jumped to the left and then burst forward, knocking Echolight's paws off the ground and causing her to collapse. She tried to get back up and found weight atop her. Stormcloud's voice was soft in her ear,

"Stop struggling. I don't want to hurt you."

"Can I trust you?"

"Of course. Haven't you noticed I never unsheathed my claws?" Stormcloud hadn't been fighting her seriously? Echolight arched her neck to get a better look at the older warrior; she just gave a faint smile. "It's a favor I'm repaying to a friend."

Echolight remembered herself at that moment and realized she had lost track of Featherstar and Darkstar during their short and rather one-sided fight. Echolight found a strength she wasn't aware she possessed and threw Stormcloud off her and stared out across the battlefield. She had to find a way to end this fight now; it was clear now that neither side wanted to do this.

Stormcloud slowly walked back over to Echolight; the two a beacon of peace amongst all the turmoil that surrounded them. When she finally spotted the two leaders, it appeared as though both were gravely wounded though neither were backing down. Whoever survived was meant to be the victor and neither wanted to be the weaker of the two.

"Stormcloud. How many lives does Featherstar have left?"

"Seven. N-no… Six. He has six lives left. Why?"

"I need to end this. Please forgive me." If she could manage to take one of Featherstar's lives, perhaps that would be enough.

"W-wait!"

Stormcloud's shout rung onto deaf ears as Echolight bolted away from her. Even with only three legs, even though Stormcloud was stronger than her, the older she-cat could never hope to catch a pure-blood WindClan cat on a mission. Echolight dodged battling cats and quickly closed the distance between her and the two toms. She judged the distance quickly and leapt, closing her eyes.

As soon as she felt fur beneath her paws, she dug in and sunk her teeth deep into the back of Featherstar's neck. She refused to let up until he stopped struggling. Her whole body was shaking from adrenaline, how tightly her jaws had wrapped around the other's neck. She had killed prey in a similar fashion but to do the same to a fellow cat and with such a dishonorable move?

When she reopened her eyes to the sound of unnerving silence, she noticed quite a few things at once. The battle seemed to have ended because everyone was just _staring_ at her, mixed expressions of shock and relief all at once. Perhaps the worst thing she noticed was the cat standing a tail-length away. He laid on his side as though he had just been thrown off balance and his mouth agape. Echolight gulped and finally looked down at the cat by her paws to confirm her fears.

It wasn't Featherstar she had just killed.


	12. Daybreak

Chapter 12: Daybreak

Echolight looked down in horror at the still form of Darkstar and scrambled away from him. She held her breath as she stood there, gaze flickering between the crowd and the SkyClan leader. Echolight was sure that she had judged her distance properly, but she knew she deserved any punishment she was to be received. Featherstar slowly padded over,

"H..He pushed me away at the last moment…"

"Is… Is he going to be okay? How long before he wakes up?"

"Wake up?" Featherstar frowned. "That was his last life. I thought you knew?"

Echolight shook her head furiously. Featherstar straightened his posture and spoke to the crowd gathered around them. Echolight found herself unable to hear what he said, just thinking over and over what she had done, what she hadn't have known. It was also strange; Darkstar pushed away Featherstar at the last moment? That seemed a bit out of sorts with how the two brothers acted towards each other, but there was much Echolight did not know.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Sorry, where are we going?"

Featherstar's expression was gentle. "You're going home. I'm going with you to deliver the news to the clan."

Featherstar led the quiet WindClan cats back to their camp. Naturally the rest of the cats who had not been instructed to come to the battle were confused as to why the leader of SkyClan was there. It was nearly sundown once more after Featherstar answered all their answers.

"Did Darkstar ever appoint a deputy?" Featherstar asked. The lack of answer gave him all that he needed to know. "Ah… That's a bit of a problem, isn't it?"

"We have a deputy." Kestrelflight responded in a matter-of-fact tone. The WindClan cats shared a look between each other. This was news to them.

"Who is it?"

"Echolight,"

"What?" She looked his way, "What do you want?"

"No, I mean it's you. You're our deputy."

Echolight nearly laughed in his face. Surely, he was joking, right? Right…? Kestrelflight's expression didn't change. By StarClan he was serious.

"I know you've never had an apprentice but this was decided by StarClan. Are you ready to travel to the Moonpool?"

"I'm sorry but what? What is going on?"

Echolight soon found herself before the pure blue waters of the Moonpool, wondering if she had fallen asleep at some point and had began to dream. Surely this wasn't happening; this was just her mind playing tricks with her before the battle with SkyClan. She realized she wasn't dreaming when she took a drink of the Moonpool as instructed, the water cool and refreshing on her tongue. Unlike most of her dreams, this had been a perfectly linear albeit strange day, so this had to be real, however unfortunate it was.

Echolight found herself exhausted and laid on the ground, closing her eyes for barely a second before finding herself in an endless moonlit meadow. Warriors that moved like mist upon the lake surrounded her and spoke with one voice,

"Welcome Echolight. Are you ready to receive your nine lives?"

"I am."

"Very well then."

The first cat walks forth, the stars stark against his black fur. For the first time in a great number of moons, Echolight finally sees her father.

"With my life, I give you wisdom so that you may choose the best path for you and your clan. What lies ahead means that sometimes you will have to make a painful decision; it is with wisdom that you can determine which way to lean."

His nose touched her forehead and she was met with a sudden jolt of pain as though her skin had been clawed at. Echolight looked down at herself to scan for injuries but found none; staring at the face of her father for answers. Nightwhisper explained briefly that certain knowledge came at a price; many of the lives that StarClan gave were painful.

As Nightwhisper took a step back, his place was taken by a cream-pelted she-cat with white splotches. Echolight swore she had forgotten the tender face of her mother, but the memories hit full force before Daysong even had a chance to speak. Echolight fought back the tears and smiled as Daysong came closer.

"With my life, I give you mercy. At times there will be those who are weaker than you, and you will always have others depending on you. With this life, I wish for you to protect them."

Though Echolight braces for pain, she finds herself wrapped in warmth. It brings back memories of her and her siblings as kits in the nursery; Daysong curled around them as they rested. Daysong bows her head and leaves Echolight's sight with Nightwhisper by her side. Part of Echolight wanted to call out to them, perhaps convince them to stay by her just a little longer, but another cat gets to her first.

This she-cat has an orange and cream pelt with eyes just as vibrant. The frequent fixture in Echolight's nightmares brought to this dreamscape. Rather than the horrifying creature that often frightened her; Spottedfire was exactly how she appeared in life before the accident on the Thunderpath.

"With my life, I give you selflessness. When you are faced by problems, you need to be able to see past what you desire so that you may help others, no matter what it might cost. Some things are worth giving up."

This life had a sting to it, like an herb to a wound, but it soon gave way to something less painful. Echolight looked at Spottedfire guiltily,

"I'm sorry for what happened that day."

"You don't need to apologize. You never meant for it to happen, and I think that's what's most important. With my sacrifice I was able to see you here, just about to become the leader. I'm proud of you."

Heart just a little lighter, Spottedfire disappeared to allow the next cat to come forward. She looks much like Spottedfire, but Echolight knows her as Oakleaf. The warrior swished her tail and proceeded to give her life,

"With my life, I give you judgement. Wisdom alone will never be able to tell you correct path; it is with proper judgement that you will be able to evaluate before you make a decision."

There is little pain in this life save for a mild burning sensation. Echolight thinks without humor about how poor judgement was how she was in this situation in the first place; not considering all possible courses of action and just… jumping right to whatever conclusion came to her mind first.

The short-haired stone colored she-cat was the next to come to Echolight. Pebblefoot rocked back and forth on her paws before she spoke.

"With my life, I give you faith. Even amid the trials and horrors of clan life, you need to be able to push onwards. If you have faith, you can be able to look towards a brighter future."

A little spoiled by how gentle the past few lives had been, Echolight was blindsided by the sheer anguish that came with this life. It was as though she was suddenly unable to breathe, and Echolight forced her claws into the ground to push through it. As the pain ebbed away, Echolight wondered if that was anything like what Pebblefoot had suffered through in her final hour. Guilt was evident in Pebblefoot's expression as the gray she-cat left.

The sixth and seventh cats walked up to Echolight at the same time. Both are mostly white with black patches in their fur; the she-cat on the left having more of the dark patches. Smokeshade speaks first, brushing past their brother to get closer.

"Sorry I didn't say goodbye myself. I didn't intend to leave you like that."

"It's alright." Echolight choked out the short phrase. She's still not completely fine after receiving Pebblefoot's life, and that in combination of the sheer overwhelming nature of this whole ceremony was getting to her

"It's almost over. With my life, I give you bravery. Use my life so that you do not have to live in fear of either the past or the future. I will be there by your side until the day you finally join us here."

Echolight endured the pain without falter and turned her gaze to her younger brother, Hailstorm. Smokeshade allows him to take her place, seating herself beside Echolight.

"With my life, I give you forgiveness. Not only is this life for forgiving those who have wronged you, it is also important to remember that sometimes you need to forgive yourself. Some things are beyond your control and you cannot remain stuck in past on what you could have done better."

The emotions that came with this life were worse than the pain but it passed just as quickly. All too quickly both of her siblings walked away. Echolight watched them as they went, noticing that the others who had given her lives were sitting behind her and watching as the ceremony proceeded. Hailstorm and Smokeshade were flanked on either side by Nightwhisper and Daysong. They were the image of a perfect family. Oakleaf and Spottedfire sat besides Daysong and Pebblefoot's tail was curled with Hailstorm. Echolight smiled, not having forgotten how Pebblefoot had admitted her attraction just shortly before she passed on. It seemed they were happy together here.

Echolight caught herself before she padded over to join them; remembering her place was not among them. With any luck, it would be a great number of seasons before she was to rejoin them. Echolight forced herself to turn back to the endless starlit field, ready as she could be for the last two lives. From the pattern that had presented her thus far, she knew right away who the last two would be.

Echolight did her best not to tremble when she stared Darkstar in the eye, the former leader looking to her with a guarded expression. She could still remember the moment she had killed him, and she expected harsh words condemning her actions. Darkstar kept his mouth shut for the moment, allowing Echolight to gather her thoughts. It was with that small break that she recognized that this Darkstar was far younger than the Darkstar she had known in life; this had to have been him as Darkwave, as a young warrior before his relationship with Featherstar had gone downhill.

"Darkstar, I'm… I'm so sorry I-"

"You can talk to him in a little bit, let me give you a life first." Echolight had failed to notice Typhoon at first, given the fact that he barely reached to Darkstar's chin. Echolight gave him a sheepish grin, wishing that hadn't happened so she could have given him the excitement he deserved.

"With my life, I give you healing and resilience. As awful as the things you've gone through are, you need to be able to move beyond them so that you can focus upon the future. This life means knowing that it's alright to look to others for help even when your wounds are invisible from the outside. This life is also about helping others who might just need a shoulder to cry on; some things are not so easily solved by either claws or pretty words."

Echolight bowed her head so that the former deputy would be able to reach her forehead with ease. The emotions to this life were complex. Just below the surface was an overwhelming sense of fear and pain that stole Echolight's breath away, but slowly the pain ebbed away to be replaced by the warmth she had long identified to be of love and peace. If she thought hard enough, those emotions had always been below the more painful ones, but it seemed that something allowed the positive ones to overwhelm the negative.

That just left Darkstar. The former leader bowed his head deeply and spoke in a calm voice, "There are many things I wish I could say. Perhaps the easiest would be 'thank you'. If anyone should say their apologies, it should be me. With my life, I give you loyalty. This means loyalty not only to your clan, but to your friends and your family as well. It was a hard lesson to learn; but I don't think you'll have any issues with it."

This final life she was given was mild and she endured it with little effort. With his life given, Darkstar continued to speak.

"I hail you by your new name, Echostar. Your old life is no more. You have now received the nine lives of a leader, and StarClan grants you the guardianship of WindClan _._ Defend it well; care for young and old; honor your ancestors and the traditions of the warrior code; live each life with pride and dignity."

The StarClan cats gathered all shouted her new name to the skies. Echostar stole one last look at all the cats who had given her a life before she gave into burning desire to wake up. Her first sight was of her own face in the Moonpool with the unmistakable pink of sunrise reflecting into it.


End file.
